Community for the chronically ill

children

With chronic illness, sometimes we don’t have the ability to travel and do things we wish we could. But, the beautiful part about reading is that it can take you to a place far away, without you ever having to leave your front door. Reading allows you to explore any topic, visit any land and feel various emotions from the comfort of your own home.

Here at the UnChargeables, we will be doing a series of book reviews to showcase some literary treasures we’ve discovered.

This is Wendy, she is the author of the Mediwonderland Book Series. Her writing journey began when her daughter, Katie began having health issues. At 8 years old, Katie endured many invasive procedures such as a bone marrow biopsy and a splenectomy. She saw the fear her daughter had and sought to find a calming way to explain the scary procedures to her. This is where the idea for the “Mediwonderland Series” was born.

Wendy has since published over a hundred titles that explain various health procedures in a way that young minds can understand.

Wendy struggles with her own health, as she has been diagnosed many health issues such as Ehler-Danlos and Adrenal Insufficiency. Though she is 80% bedridden, she continues to write books to help chronically ill children.

Above is an example of one of her lovely books.

This series aims to make medical procedures less frightening for children all around the world. It will address everything from simple medical procedures to illnesses, and also situations such as bullying, abuse and psychological issues such as PTSD. Children see things very differently than adults and the simplest of tests can be very frightening. Wendy Explains.

As an adult with chronic illness, I couldn’t imagine fighting disease as a young child. This series is a true resource to parents and family members of sick children.

Wendy has created a tool for parents to make a scary experience a little easier.

Kudos to you, Wendy. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world.

To read more of this series click here—> https://www.mediwonderland.com/

Chores are so frustrating for us Spoonies! Getting your children to help clean can be difficult; but is important and rewarding for them, and us, to keep them involved. Expecting their help teaches them specific life-skills they will need to know when they are older, and it will be helpful for you as a Spoonie as each family member will have some responsibilities in the care of your home.

Here are Ten Tips for Cleaning with Cups:

1. Start Them Young.

Choose age appropriate chores for each child. They will learn that they are part of the family team, and are part of making the house a home. Children are capable of doing many chores starting as toddlers. Examples:

2. Be Specific.

Instead of saying, “Clean the table,” tell them, “Take a clean, damp cloth and wipe the whole table. Brush crumbs into your hand and throw them away, don’t push them onto the floor…etc.” Since they have not learned through the experience yet, it is important to break chores down so they understand the steps. For readers, make a list of the steps for a new chore and put it where they can see it. I kept the breakdown in my Home Binder under the Housekeeping tab. (Seriously, a Home Binder can make life so much simpler; see my article 10 Tips for Cleaning with Chronic Pain )

3. Be Consistent.

Expect a chore to be done each day, and follow through with making sure it becomes a habit. When we don’t follow through with the expectation, things tend to slip aside more and more frequently.

4. Mix It Up.

If you have more than one child, make sure to change the chores they are each responsible for each day. You could do the Popsicle Stick method by writing each child’s responsibility on a Popsicle stick, and having them pick a new stick each day, or set up a sticker chart. I had a chart that rotated chores among my three older children so they could look at their expected responsibility each afternoon and weren’t always expected to do the same chore.

5. Time It!

Use a timer for younger children, about five minutes should be plenty for smaller children (make it a Beat the Clock game!) and fifteen minutes for 10-13 year olds. Expect the chore to be completed within a set period of time. I gave the older children time to choose between arriving home from school and suppertime. (Unless the chore was to load the dishwasher, which was expected right following dinner.)

6. Don’t Demand Perfection

But don’t allow sloppy work. Teach them to take pride in a job well done.

7. Give Praise.

We all like to feel that we have done something well. Let them know how much their hard work helps you and makes you proud. Give specific examples, such as, “I really like the way you moved the chairs to sweep under the table, that was good thinking!”

8. Organize!

If you have a place for everything in their rooms, they will be more likely to put things back where they belong more consistently and naturally. I use bins for items such as: dolls and accessories, Legos, play food, Shopkins Squinkies and Little Pet Shops, markers and crayons, etc… I also use clear bins so they can see what goes in which container.

9. Donate.

Before Christmas, Birthdays or other times they receive new toys or items, I have them go through their toys and fill a box for donation or Rummage Sale. (It is also helpful if you allow them to keep money earned by selling some of their items.)

10. Give Extra Opportunities

Make a list of chores they may accomplish outside of the expected chores, and offer a small reward for completion of them. For example: Vacuum an extra room for 3 points, do extra dishes for 5 points. When they reach 10 points they may receive something special. For younger children, they get to pick a movie, have a sleepover, or earn the new action figure they want. For older children: go to a movie, receive cash, or use the car for an afternoon.